Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has predicted group stage triumphs for Franciszek Smuda’s co-hosts as they prepare to open Euro 2012 against Greece in Warsaw on Friday.

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As he looked ahead to Group A, in which Poland also take on Russia and Czech Republic, Tusk said: “I would love to say we'd beat Greece 4-0 or 5-0 – but you’d laugh at me if I was wrong.  So instead it's safer for me to say we’ll win 1-0.

“I also think we’ll beat Russia 2-1 in the second game. Hopefully, Poland will go on to win the tournament but, if we can’t have that, let’s hope that Spain win it again.”

Tusk welcomed fans visiting his country for the tournament, saying Poland had “spared no efforts to guarantee an unforgettable football festival in welcoming cities.”

“Whether you drive to Poland, fly to Poland or come by rail to Poland, we are waiting to welcome each one of you here,” he said, adding that the tournament would be “enjoyed in a fantastic atmosphere and the most comfortable of conditions.”

“Poland has made tremendous progress in her development," he said. "Two decades ago, we were a poor, post-communist country on Europe’s eastern frontier. Today we are the country that has averted recession during the recent turmoil and become the biggest construction site in the European Union. I invite you to see for yourselves the scale of change that our country has undergone.”